In a story first reported by TMZ, France failed to adhere to a stop sign in Sag Harbor, New York, and was given a Breathalyzer test, which he failed. It was then that the police searched him and found oxycodone pills in his possession. The report stated that France bragged of his relationship with President Donald Trump.

France will be replaced on an interim basis by his uncle, Jim France, the founder of the Grand-Am Road Racing Series, who spearheaded its merger with the American Le Mans Series.

But this isn’t the first time France has found himself in the spotlight for a transgression behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, much less criticism directed at the fact the executive rarely attends races or interacts with the competitors.

The arrest on Sunday came more than a dozen years after the third-generation NASCAR leader crashed his car into a tree near his residence in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Associated Press reported in 2006 that a witness reported that a silver Lexus owned by France was traveling at a “very reckless speed” and the driver “fell over his own feet” while exiting the car.

France was not interviewed until 20 minutes after he was inside his residence, where he told police that he was drinking soda at the time and “bumped into something.”

Daytona Beach Police launched an investigation into if the department had provided France special treatment, something it concluded had not happened. However, according to the Daytona News Beach Journal, the incident did lead to the requirement that the highest-ranking supervisor on duty must be called to the scene of all DUI incidents and that no officer would report off-duty until his or her reports are complete.

Now, NASCAR is doing everything it can, in a controlled way, to clean up it’s drug image although its CEO, Brian France, who has been connected with drugs on more than one occasion.

In the late ‘90s, I wrote a story in Speedway Scene, a weekly motorsports trade publication, that accused Brian France, son of Bill France Jr., of checking into the Betty Ford Clinic, near Los Angeles, Calif., for drug rehabilitation. NASCAR called me on the carpet for the story, but never did anything, except having my publisher, Val LeSieur, to call Betty Jane France, Brian’s mother, and apologize for the story. All the time, the rest of them, gathered at that meeting in Daytona Beach, Fla., were laughing.

Later, I was told by a high-ranking NASCAR executive, no longer employed by NASCAR, the only thing wrong with the story was that Brian France had checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for drug rehabilitation, but under an assumed name. I never have been able to find out that name to this date.

A nurse called me and said she had worked for the Betty Ford Clinic at the time Brian France checked in. None of the staff knew who France was because he wasn’t using his real name. Now that NASCAR has two Cup races at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and since France has made it clear he wants a National Football League (NFL) franchise for Los Angeles, his picture is widely circulated in the area in daily newspapers and on TV.

“That’s how we found out,” said the nurse. “A group of us were sitting around one day, watching TV for some reason and they showed Brian France. We didn’t know him by that name. We knew him by another name. But no mistaking it, it was the same man, regardless of the name. “While he was in the Clinic we treated him for drug abuse. He was quite strung out when he got there.”

And now on Sunday, France registered a blood-alcohol level of .18 percent on the chemical sobriety test, per the arrest report. The legal limit to drive an automobile is .08 percent and the threshold to be charged with aggravated DWI is .18.

“The defendant’s breath smelled of an intoxicating beverage, his speech was slurred, his eyes were glassy and red, he was unsteady on his feet and he performed poorly on several standard field sobriety tests administered.”

France was in possession of five yellow pills, later determined to be oxycodone. France has served as the chairman of the stock car racing league founded by his grandfather, Bill France Sr., since 2003. However, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2017 that France sold his entire stake in NASCAR more than a decade ago and “essentially works for his sister and uncle (Jim),” who hold significant stakes.

“I apologize to our fans, our industry and my family for the impact of my actions last night,” France said in a statement. “Effective immediately, I will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from my position to focus on my personal affairs.”